"Chanson d'automne" ("Autumn Song") is a poem by Paul Verlaine
(1844–1896), one of the best known in the French language. It is included in Verlaine's first collection, Poèmes saturniens, published in 1866 (see 1866 in poetry). The poem forms part of the "Paysages tristes" ("Sad landscapes"
section of the collection.[1]
In World War II lines from the poem were used to send messages from Special Operations Executive (SOE) to the French Resistance about the timing of the forthcoming Invasion of Normandy.
THINK about the weather issues they faced, and compare with 'ours' yesterday:
How Wednesday's historic Maryland tornado outbreak happened
The event emerges as one of the most significant tornado outbreaks in the state in years.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/12329659
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In preparation for Operation Overlord, the BBC's Radio Londres signalled to the French Resistance with the opening lines of the 1866 Verlaine poem "Chanson d'Automne" to indicate the start of D-Day operations under the command of the Special Operations Executive. The first three lines of the poem, "Les sanglots longs / des violons / de l'automne" ("Long sobs of autumn violins" , would mean that Operation Overlord was to start within two weeks. These lines were broadcast on 1 June 1944. The next set of lines, "Blessent mon coeur / d'une langueur / monotone" ("wound my heart with a monotonous languor" , meant that it would start within 48 hours and that the resistance should begin sabotage operations, especially on the French railroad system; these lines were broadcast on 5 June at 23:15.[3][4][5][6]